Faculty development: if you build it,they will come

Medical Education 2010: 44 : 900–907 Objectives The goals of this study were three‐fold: to explore the reasons why some clinical teachers regularly attend centralised faculty development activities; to compare their responses with those of colleagues who do not attend, and to learn how we can make faculty development programmes more pertinent to teachers’ needs. Methods In 2008–2009, we conducted focus groups with 23 clinical teachers who had participated in faculty development activities on a regular basis in order to ascertain their perceptions of faculty development, reasons for participation, and perceived barriers against involvement. Thematic analysis and research team consensus guided the data interpretation. Results Reasons for regular participation included the perceptions that: faculty development enables personal and professional growth; learning and self‐improvement are valued; workshop topics are viewed as relevant to teachers’ needs; the opportunity to network with colleagues is appreciated, and initial positive experiences promote ongoing involvement. Barriers against participation mirrored those cited by non‐attendees in an earlier study (e.g. volume of work, lack of time, logistical factors), but did not prevent participation. Suggestions for increasing participation included introducing a ‘buddy system’ for junior faculty members, an orientation workshop for new staff, and increased role‐modelling and mentorship. Conclusions The conceptualisation of faculty development as a means to achieve specific objectives and the desire for relevant programming that addresses current needs (i.e., expectancies), together with an appreciation of learning, self‐improvement and networking with colleagues (i.e., values), were highlighted as reasons for participation by regular attendees. Medical educators should consider these ‘lessons learned’ in the design and delivery of faculty development offerings. They should also continue to explore the notion of faculty development as a social practice and the application of motivational theories that include expectancy–value constructs to personal and professional development.     

Infection control to quality improvement: the right time, the right place, the work to be done

Many infection control epidemiologists are moving into the quality improvement field. The marriage of epidemiology with quality improvement is a logical step. Several things have to happen for this union to be successful, however. Most importantly, collaborative relationships must be forged with a variety of healthcare providers and practical, reliable, and valid indicators, and the methods for measuring them must be developed. This will take time, but epidemiologists should insist on and support the development of a robust discipline that combines the best of both worlds.     

Creating open access to exercise for low-income patients through a community collaboration for quality improvement: if you build it, they will come

Community health centers face the need for safe, accessible, and affordable exercise for low-income patients to implement self-management strategies. This study reports on one federally qualified health center's experience developing a partnership with a local YWCA to offer open access to patients for physical activity. Over a 24-month period, 1060 adult patients made at least 1 visit to the YWCA, logging a total of 14,276 visits. Among the exercisers, 112 had diabetes and made 3225 visits. Frequent users (> or =24 visits), had an HbAlc reduction of 1% (P = .02). Community health centers can collaborate with local exercise facilities to ensure that patients have opportunities to pursue healthier lifestyles.